Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-04
SNAKES IN ILLINOIS.
How the Reptiles Abound in Rush
Township, 10 Davies County.
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How the Reptiles Abound In Rush
Township, 10 Davies County.
Especial Correspondence
JOLIET, Ills, May 81.
The small group Of mountains in Rush
township, up in 10 Davies county, this state,
almost on the Iowa boundary, are fairly
alive with snake hunters, whenever warm
day occurs, when the venomous reptiles
crawl out of their dens in the rocks and hud-
die together by the scores and hundreds in
the sunshine, many varieties often being
found massed together. The OLD time snake
hunters know Just where to look for the rep
tiles, which at this season of the year are dull
and sluggish. Many orders are received from
showmen all over the country for live rat
tiers, and the snake hunters generally receive
from fifty cents to So each for them, accord
ing to their size and condition. 1t is not such
a dangerous matter to capture live rattlers as
many people suppose. The snake hunter pro-
vides himself with a large canvas bag,
pole eight feet long, with an iron hook at the
further end, and a wire so bent as to form
the outline for a slip moose of stout hemp
cord, the line continuing down the pole to the
operators hands. Arriving at the den of the
snakes, the reptiles are hooked out from their
beds under the rocks where they lie basking
III the rays of the sun, then the slip moose is
adjusted over the head and neck, the cord
pulled tight, when the snake is bodily
lifted on the end of the pole and
thrown head first in the mouth of the sack,
which is held open by boy in attendance;
the cord is cut as near the rattler's head as
careful discretion will permit, then another
snake is hooked out, captured and bagged in
the same manner, often as many as thirty or
forty live ratUlers being secured i'll one after
noon The rattlers, once inside the sack, seem
20 take it easy, as matter of course, and
create no comnotiOn nor make any effort to
scape. After the snake hunter has secured
Us many rattlers as he desires, or as there
happens to be within sight or fishing distance,
lie ties the mouth of the sack, throws the bag
of venomous reptiles over his shoulders and
backs his burden into town with as little con-
Germ as though he were carrying so many
dead quail. Many folks in the region of the
Rush mountains deal largely in rattlesnake
oil, which is popularity supposed to possess
wonderful curative properties. OF warm
afternoon a whole troop of villagers will
sally out into the mountains, armed with
fails, cudgels and rods, and when they come
upon den of snakes they proceed at once to
literally whip the life out of them with their
threshing fails Few, if any, of the reptiles
ever make their escape. The rattlers are as
sorted out of the mass of dead and writing
'rptiles, and carried home in sacks, where
lie dead carcasses are thrown into
rendering tank and the oil all tried
,ut. 1t is then carefully strained, bottled
md labeled, and is ready for the market. and
often it is sold as high as 81 all ounce, so high
reputation has it secured as an unfailing
III ,I f.,,, ~,
matism and dozen other ills the human
family is heir to. There resides in subter-
ranean cave in this vicinity venerable
hermit who has for many years enjoyed a
wide local reputation in northern Illinois for
MS powers of healing snake bites. He is said
% be on the most familiar terms with all the
rattlers and other venomous snakes in these
mountains. He is said to cure snake bites
without the aid of any kind of medicine, and
apparently he delights to fellowship with and
hold control over every kind of venomous
reptile. He always protests against their be-
ing killed, and it is said that the largest and
most venomous rattlers inhabit his cave.
and daily come to him to be ca
ressed, and disappear in their den at his
biddinr Whenever a person within the reacb
this hermit is bitten uy a RATHER his hea.-
Is Siio ~ 'h''hC'; anu VIC iutleilL Is aJ once
elieved of all pains and the poison is rem
Tered harmless. He simply places his
lands upon the wound and cautions the suf-
Serer not to take any whisky or other antidote
pTcred by others. He never accepts pay for
lis services in life saving The old hermit
as often been urged to divulge the secret of
us uncanny art, bat he only protests that it
$ not incantation, and that he is not in
M aafya Ia tl,a axyiln
uer satisfaction he will give no one
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